ESPN's Monday Night Football: Cable's Biggest Audience of 2009 for 3rd Straight Week

ESPN "Wins the Night" in All Key Male and Adult Demos Among All Networks in Prime Time

For the third consecutive week, ESPN's Monday Night Football delivered the biggest cable television audience of the year. Monday night's MNF telecast � the Dallas Cowboys' 21-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers -- earned a 11.5 rating, representing an average of 11,354,000 households (15,705,000 viewers � P2+), the largest audience for any program on cable television in 2009.

The MNF game led all programs (broadcast or cable) in all key male and adult demos and helped ESPN win the night among all networks (broadcast or cable) in all key and adult male demos. The game also ranks as the fourth largest household audience all-time for cable television (excluding breaking news) and the seventh most-viewed program in cable history in overall viewers (excluding breaking news). The Panthers-Cowboys game is the fourth most-viewed MNF game on ESPN (since 2006) among both households and viewers.

Through three weeks (four games) of the NFL season, ESPN's MNF is averaging a 10.4 household rating, 10,267,000 households, and 14,044,000 viewers (P2+), representing increases of 6%, 7% and 5%, respectively. ESPN's four MNF games are the four biggest audiences in terms of both household impressions and total viewers for cable television in 2009.

ESPN's MNF game between the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins last week (Sept. 21) held the previous top mark for cable television in 2009 in both households (10,849,000) and viewers (14,710,000).

ESPN.com had more than 102 million page views to NFL content accessed via computers and mobile devices for Monday through Tuesday at noon -- up 21% from the comparable time period last year. Specifically, page views for the NFL section on computers and mobile were up 17% and 14%, respectively, from last year. Additionally, ESPN.com streamed 3.4 million NFL related videos -- up 52% from last year.

Brett Favre Faces the Packers This Week on ESPN's MNF

ESPN's MNF returns this week (Oct. 5) with Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings (3-0) hosting Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers (2-1) at 8:30 p.m. ET. The highly-anticipated NFC North matchup marks Favre's first game against the Packers, where he spent 16 seasons (1992-2007) of his legendary career. ESPN's game around the game coverage begins with Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio (simulcast on ESPN2) live from the Metrodome in Minneapolis at 6 a.m. ET and continues with studio programs throughout the afternoon starting at 3:30 p.m. with NFL Live.